09.11.2005 PRESIDENT VORONIN DOES NOT BELIEVE RUSSIA WILL EVER USE SANCTIONS AGAINST MOLDOVA

Chisinau, November 9 (Infotag). President Vladimir Voronin does not believe in Russia’s using economic sanctions against Moldova. He stated such confidence of his in the interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper of Moscow published today.

“I do not believe in a possibility of slapping an embargo on us. These are only a handful of Russian State Duma deputies, on Transnistria’s alimony for long, who demand the embargo, and who claim that, allegedly, Moscow must defend the rights of the Russian-speakers living in Moldova. By the way, there are more Russian-speakers in Chisinau city alone than in the entire Transnistria, so it is not known yet whose rights are better protected! There is yet one more interesting fact: 80 percent of all wine in Moldova is produced by investors from the Russian Federation”, Voronin said.

Explaining his position concerning his recent loud statement that he is, allegedly, ready to freeze himself to death without the Russian gas, together with the rest of the population, but shall never surrender, Voronin said, “I am certainly not ready to anything of that sort… I am absolutely sure that Russia will never do this. Look, we are akin to each other, aren’t we? Russian-speakers make 22% of our population! … But we have separated, and this should be perceived as a reality. Does anybody really think that for our wine’s sake I will be selling out our independence and territorial integrity? Well, I would rather treat everybody to this wine!”, stated the Moldovan leader.